What happens when the war outside mirrors the conflict within? Meet Yara, a 23-year-old Palestinian woman whose journey through war-torn Gaza, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening offers profound wisdom beyond her years.

Growing up amid bombs and uncertainty, Yara developed anxiety that shaped her understanding of herself and the world around her. When she began experiencing same-sex attraction as a teenager, the silence surrounding sexuality in her community left her feeling isolated and confused. "When you grow up believing normal human development is shameful," she reflects, "it plants seeds of fear that take years to unlearn."

This conversation travels through the landscapes of trauma, mental health, and religious identity with remarkable honesty. Yara shares how therapy complemented her spiritual journey, explaining that "psychology and spirituality go hand in hand, but they're not the same." After feeling alienated by harsh, male-dominated religious discourse, she discovered scholars whose balanced, compassionate approach transformed her relationship with Islam.

"Your authentic self is not defined by your urges. True freedom means living according to what fulfills your spirit and soul." Through her story, Yara demonstrates how acknowledging same-sex attraction while remaining committed to Islamic values isn't contradiction but integration. 

The episode concludes with a moving tribute to Gaza that reminds us of the resilience, beauty, and dignity of a people going through the most challenging of circumstances.

Recommended resources on Palestine and Gaza:
- Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement official website.
- UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) donation link.
- More about pinkwashing and purplewashing.
- A comprehensive historical outline of Palestine’s occupation: The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi.
- Novels, novellas, and poetry portraying the Nakba, Diaspora and Palestinian Struggle: Umm Sa’d, The Land of Sad Oranges, Return to Haifa, Men in the Sun, and The Owl in The Filled Room by Ghassan Kanafani; Mornings in Jenin, and Against The Loveless world by Susan Abulhawa; On this Land, Those Who pass Between Fleeting Words, and Who Am I, Without Exile? by Mahmoud Darwish.
- A documentary outlining a couple months of the genocide captured by Yousef Hammash, a small video about Gaza before the war, and a video about significant historical & religious sites in Gaza.
- A drama series on the struggles and everyday life of Palestinians before/during the Nakba: Al-Taghreeba Al-Falastinya by Hatem Ali.
- Experiences of Arab and Arab American feminists with gender, sexuality and feminism: Arab and Arab American Feminisms: Gender, Violence and Belonging by Rabab Abdulhadi.

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Background music for most podcast episodes: "Pandemia" by MaxKoMusic (Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)